Say what you want about JJ Redick, but there is no debating that the man is a natural in front of a camera. His basketball knowledge, coupled with engaging conversations, has garnered him quite a fan following. So when he said, “I am excommunicated from the content space. There will be no podcasts,” you can imagine the shock.

After much chaos, the Lakers finally decided to hand the reins of coaching the Lakers to JJ. Of course, it was pretty much a done deal the moment he was announced as being a front runner for the job. A slight tip in the scales occurred when Dan Hurley entered the picture. However, the Huskies coach was not swayed by Los Angeles’ offer of a six-year $70 million contract. Once again, Redick entered the picture.

Given that the final winner was the Duke product, there were bound to be some changes. JJ said the above statement during his first presser as a head coach. But as a follow up, the ex-Orlando Magic star joined the popular radio station, ESPN LA 710 M with a spot of good news. And it’s particularly going to be sweet for Mind the Game podcast fans. “Mind The Game may continue. Just not with me,” Redick stated.

LeBron James and JJ started the podcast around three months ago. To date, the pair have nine official episodes and several videos as short as 5 minutes to longer than 20 minutes. As of writing, the pod also boasts an impressive 657,000 subscribers with the last episode (Ep. 9) reaching 821k views! Its clear that with an experienced podcaster as Redick and a naturally charming LeBron, their podcast was bound to be a success.

But that’s not all the 40-year-old had to say.

JJ Redick makes his stance clear on the path forward with the Lakers

“I want to coach basketball and only coach basketball,” Redick clarified after allaying the fears of the fans of Mind The Game pod. The biggest criticism directed at the former sharpshooter was his lack of coaching experience. Save for JJ’s son’s youth team, the new Lakers’ head coach has no history of training grown men and leading them to a championship.

However, JJ Redick seems determined to put in every effort. His introductory presser showed the confidence the Tennessee native had in his skills. JJ brought attention to his years at Duke and the 15 seasons he spent in the NBA, stating that they have helped him gain valuable experience. The new-age coach that he is planning to be, JJ also mentioned how his broadcasting career has paid dividends, too.

“Being able to connect with the players, talking to them on the podcast, being in coaching interviews with ESPN calling games, analyzing the game in three different formats. All of that has helped prepare me to be an NBA head coach.” 

Well, this will especially be satisfying for the Purple & Gold fans, no doubt. For Redick’s sake, we hope whatever tricks he has in his bag will get the job done!

 But before you go, be sure to check this video of Leonardo Armato’s take on the deadly duo, Shaq and Kobe.

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